The Explorer by Katherine Rundell Book Review

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Book received at no charge in exchange for an honest review.

When their plane crashes in the Amazon rain forest on their way back to England, Fred, Con, Lila and Lila's brother, 5 year-old Max fight to survive. Finding shelter and edible fruits poses proves challenging for the inexperienced children. Through their resourcefulness, the children find things like mixing ground up grubs and cocoa give them a paste and the protein they need for survival.

Max stumbles onto a map and convinces the other children to follow it to the X. The course of their adventure presents new dangers from predators and the elements. They manage to build a makeshift raft and travel down the river where they discover the remnants of an ancient city. To their surprise, a mysterious lives amongst the ruins. He refuses to give the children his name but Max assumes he is the missing explorer from 1925. Does the explorer hold the key to the children's chance at rescue?

Rundell captures the beauty of the Amazon through vivd description of everything from the lush vegetation to the smells of the rainforest. Both the setting and adventure will captivate the reader and perhaps motivate further exploration. It may also inspire the reader to gain further understanding of the effects of imperialism in the Amazon. Despite the lack of depth in the characters, the suspense will hold interest to the end.

Rating ★★★★☆

Publishing Information

Publisher: Simon and Shuster Books for Young Readers (Sept. 12, 2017)

ISBN: 9781481419451

Ages: 8-12

Purchase this book HERE.

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Charlie Bumpers Vs. His Big Blabby Mouth by Bill Harley and Illustrated by Adam Gustavson: Book Review

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Book received at no charge to facilitate review.

Career Week has everyone buzzing about whose parents will come to speak to their class. With his classmates bragging about their parent's jobs, Charlie can't help but open his blabby mouth about his dad's work. Unfortunately, he leaves the impression that his dad is president of his company and that he will bring calculators to the entire class when he comes to speak for Career Week.

Not only does Charlie have to convince his dad to come to school, he has to deal with his dad losing his job during the fiasco he created. Charlie wishes he would have kept his mouth shut. Will his dad even make it to Career Week? And if he does, what will his classmates think of him? 

 Charlie learns the hard way that words or lack of them can create conflict. The reluctant reader will easily relate to Charlie's predicament and the way his family works through it together emphasizes the importance of home and family.

Rating ★★★★☆

Publishing Information

Publisher: Peachtree Publishing (September 2017)

ISBN: 978-156145-940-7

Ages: 7-10

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Finding Mighty by Sheela Chari: Book Review

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Book received at no charge to facilitate review.

What starts at a misunderstanding at school, ends up bringing twelve-year-olds Myla and Peter together to solve the disappearance of Peter's brother, Randall and the connection it has to Myla's missing necklace.

As Myla and Peter follow the graffiti trail left behind by Randall, they discover family secrets that involve stolen diamonds, mysterious deaths, and a dangerous gang who will stop at nothing to find  Randall and the hidden diamonds.

Story alternates between first person which gives greater insight to Myla, Peter and Randall thoughts and actions. The backdrop of New York and Dobb's Ferry with the emphasis on graffiti art will strike a cord to inner city youth. While the plot feels contrived at times, the action takes has the reader anxiously running with the characters through darkened streets, hoping they can dodge not only shady gang members but also cops. A solid mystery for the middle school reader.

Rating ★★★★☆

Publishing Information

Publisher: Amulet Books (May 30, 2017)

ISBN: 9781419722967

Pages: 272

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Book Review: Coming Home (Bushido Chronicles #1) by Jason Brick

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Book received at no charge to facilitate review. 

When Connor Morgan and his mother move to Portland, Oregon to escape his abusive father, he finds himself facing a new set of problems. While struggling to land a spot on the varsity wrestling team, he faces three of his teammates who would like nothing more than to destroy him. It's bad enough that they chase him from the locker room in his underwear past the girl he likes outside into the cold, but worse, he discovers the dark secret of his teammates.

It turns out the bullies are possessed by ancient Japanese spirits who not only want to destroy him but the entire school and beyond.

Some of Connor's other team mates help protect him as he learns his destiny and how it fits into Japanese Samurai legends. He will have to learn to trust those closest to him as he prepares to fight the enemy. Though the romantic aspect seemed forced at times, plenty of action mixed with and interesting take on Japanese legend holds the reader's interest and will especially appeal to those interested in wrestling and the martial arts.

 Rating:  Recommended ★★★★☆

Publishing Information: 

Publisher: Bree Noa Publishing (March 15, 2014)

Pages: 272

Ages: 14 and up

ISBN: 978-1-938445-12-5

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The Other Side of Free by Krista Russell (Book Review & Giveaway)

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Book received at no charge to facilitate review.

When his Aunt Winnie sends 13-year-old, Jem, away from Charles Town into care of former slave named Phaedra, Jem struggles with resentment and anger.  Though lucky to escape his cruel master, Phaedra's demands make Jem feel like he has never found freedom. Instead of doing what he wants, Jem spends his time running errands for Phaedra at Fort Mose, a fort in Florida occupied by runaway slaves who have pledged their allegiance to the Spanish against the British in exchange for freedom.

Jem really wants to join the militia, but Phaedra insists he is too young. Instead, he runs errands for her and explores the forest where he finds a baby owlet he calls Omen. His adventures in the forest also lead him to the discovery of a slave rebellion. The English blame the Spanish for the uprising and declare war. Jem must overcome a series of missteps to help the people at Fort Mose, or face certain death.

After living in harsh slave conditions,  Jem's resentment toward Phaedra seems out of place. However, solid writing in handling a mature subject matter easily outweigh any character flaws. Though the younger middle grade reader may find The Other Side of Free challenging, the older reader may find the little known events in 1700's slave history fascinating. A solid piece of historical fiction by author Krista Russell.

Rating: Recommended ****

Publishing Information:

Peachtree Publishers (Oct. 2013)

ISBN:  978-1-56145-710-6

Ages: 10-14

This book can be purchased from the following retailers:

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Book Review: Agent Colt Shore Domino 29 by Axel Avian

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I received an electronic copy of book at no charge from the publisher for review purposes. No monetary compensation was received. My opinions are not influenced by outside sources.

Fifteen year old Colt Shore doesn't feel like anything special. Especially when compared to his nearly perfect older brother, Dixon, who died when he was twenty-two. Yet, the fact the he attends attends a school for secret agents run by the F.A.L.C.O.N. organization, makes him special. 

Colt receives a startling revelation that his deceased brother is really his father and the mother he never knew is Amber Coltrane, a highly regarded agent at his academy. After the bombshell about his parents, his agent status is activated with what turns out to be a dangerous and exciting mission.

His mission involves protecting Thorne and Talya Ellis, a brother and sister team of a pop band, following a kidnapping threat. The group is to perform in Afghanistan as part of a USO tour and Cole must follow them across the world. Just like a row of dominoes, one nail biting event crashes into another culminating into an exciting conclusion. Colt and Talya discover a sinister plot to enslave young women. Colt must race across continents, into the mountains of Bavaria, and risk becoming a rogue agent in an attempt to rescue the girls. High tech gadgets combine with non-stop action make Agent Colt Shore Domino 29  delivers as a thrilling spy adventure comparable to James Bond but without the adult violence. Teen boys are sure to find a new action hero in Colt Shore.

Rating: Recommended ****

Publishing Information

Arundel Publishing (May 2013)

Ages 12 and up

370 pages

ISBN-13: 9781933608525

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BOOK REVIEW: Itch: The Explosive Adventures of an Element Hunter:

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**FTC Disclosure: I received the book at no charge from the publisher to facilitate my review. My opinions are my own and not influenced by outside sources**

Itchingham "Itch" Lofte didn't mean to burn off his eyebrows. He also didn't mean to send his whole science class to the hospital with arsenic poisoning. When you take up a dangerous hobby like collecting elements from the periodic table, those things are inevitable. 

When Itch acquires a super radioactive rock, not yet discovered by scientists, he ends up in a harrowing adventure that makes his previous mishaps seem minor. The head of the science department confirms the rock is actually element number 126, one not ever seen before. It turns out scientists, as well as terrorist groups from all over the world, want the rock and the unsavory ones will stop at nothing to get it. With the help of his sister Chloe, female cousin Jack and even a beloved science teach, Itch races against death to make sure the new element does not fall in the wrong hands. When Itch tries to track down Cake, the element dealer he acquired the first rock from, he discovers the rock is not the only one. Unfortunately, there are seven more.The realization of the just how dangerous the element really is, gives Itch an urgency to keep it from those who want it.

 Itch exhibits an amazing level of maturity and moral courage, instantly elevating his status from science geek to reluctant hero. 

Simon Mayo's debut novel is one of the best adventures for middle schoolers I have read in years with an original premise and non-stop action that will have the reader on the edge of his seat. Strong female characters will appeal to girls as well. For ages 10-14 but overlaps into the young adult group.

Who knew that the periodic table could be so exciting? 

 Highly Recommended

Publishing Information:

Publisher: Splinter (April 2013)

Pages: 432 (hardcover)

ISBN-13: 978-1-4549-0509-7

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